1

Promiss Light TM

2012

An Integrated Marketing Plan

By

Sarah Hook and Taylor Allen

~2~

~3~

Table of Contents

1.0 Executive Summary 8

2.0 Promotion Opportunity Analysis 9

2.1 Competitor Analysis

2.2 Opportunity Analysis

2.3 Market Segment Analysis

3.0 Corporate Strategies 19

3.1 Corporate Image Intentions

3.2 Brand Development Strategy

3.3 Brand Positioning Strategy

3.4 Overview: Distribution Strategy

3.5 Overview: Corporate Public Relations Strategy

4.0 Marketing Management 25

4.1 Marketing Team Organization

4.2 Overall IMC Budget Allocations

4.3 Agency Selection

4.4 Website Strategic Purpose and Utilization

~4~

5.0 Integrated Consumer Marketing Objective

One: The Consumer 29

5.1 Consumer Communication Objective

5.2 Budget to Reach Consumer Objective

5.3 IMC Tools

5.3.1 Consumer Websites

5.3.2 Advertising

5.3.3 Collateral Materials

5.3.4 Three Consumer Promotion Ideas

5.3.5 Public Relations

5.3.6 Sponsorship and Philanthropy Programs

5.3.7 Database Programs

5.4 Consumer Media Plan

5.5 Consumer Plan Evaluation

6.0 Integrated Consumer Marketing Objective

Two: Independent Retailers 48

6.1 Independent Retail Objective Overview

6.2 Independent Retailer Communication Objective

6.3 Budget to Reach Independent Retailers

6.4 IMC Tools

6.5 Independent Retailer Media Plan

6.6 Independent Retailer Plan Evaluation

~5~

~6~

Appendices

Name and Website Verification…………………………………..i.

Corporate Logo Design……………………………………………ii.

VALS Survey Results……………………………………………...iii.

Main Website Homepage Layout………………………………...iv.

Sample Thumbnail…………………………………………………v.

Independent Retail Link from Main Website…………………...vi.

Facebook Page Layout…………………………………………….vii.

Twitter Page Layout……………………………………………….viii.

Consumer Advertising Campaigns………………………………ix.

Collateral Material………………………………………………….x.

Media Flowchart…………………………………………………….xi.

Consume Creative Brief……………………………………………xii.

Franchise Creative Brief…………………………………………...xiii.

Customer Survey…………………………………………………...xiv.

Employee Survey …………………………………………………..xv.

Independent Retailer Survey xvi.

Packaging

POP Display “Beer Royalty”

Sponsorship Programs

Sports Jerseys

US Open Surf Competition - Huntington Beach (local event)

Promiss Girls Uniforms

3 Panel Brochure

Email Blasts

~7~

~8~

1.0 Executive Summary

Promiss Light aims to provide a light, refreshing beer with the

unique promise of being serious beer for serious fun, but without the bitter

taste of your average beer. As a beer specifically engineered for a women

elegant and sophisticated palate, Promiss Light is targeting an essentially

untapped, under-recognized market segment. Drawing on the customer

base of young, educated, and sophisticated women, our brand

encompasses the image of the modern day woman. This is not your

ordinary beer. This is a beer by women for women and a delicious

alternative to the status quo.

This plan seeks to outline the integrated marketing communications

plan and objectives for our first year of business. We have conducted a

series of analyses on the beer industry and environment to situate our

communications plan in an appropriate context. Through extensive social

media communication as well as the promotion and sponsorship of

women’s causes, we hope to create and fortify long-lasting relationships

with our identified target consumers. The corporate image and brand

positioning of Promiss Light reflect our dedication to innovation, creativity,

and dedication to women. Our product offering represents this through

our carefully and specifically engineered product and unique product and

design. Additionally, our inventive yet strategic marketing

communications initiatives maintain our sophisticated yet fun-loving tone,

while effectively promoting our product and brand. Our advertisements,

promotions, and public relations efforts have been carefully crafted and

expertly executed with this in mind. As part of our expansion plan, we will

also explore the option of selling Promiss Light beer through a targeted

communications plan that identifies effective and driven potential

independent retailers. Comprehensive and revolutionary, our consumer

and independent retailer marketing communications plan will facilitate the

achievement of our mission to create a strong brand presence in the market

and form long-lasting connections with our consumers.

~9~

2.0 Promotion Opportunity Analysis

2.1 Competitor Analysis

Overview

Promiss Light has several direct and indirect competitors.

Eagle Rock Brewery and Carlsberg’s Copenhagen are two brands

that have been identified as direct competition, due to factors of

location and similarity of concept. These brands have customized

their brand to target women in the areas of image, taste, and

nutrition. Some of our indirect competitors are Bud Light

Platinum, and Corona Light. These brands that are not directly

developed for women; however, they possess some of our same

attributes that make our brand so distinctive and currently

occupy a large portion of the market segment we wish to target.

Therefore, our main competitors include, but are not limited to

Eagle Rock Brewery, Carlsberg Copenhagen, Bud Light Platinum,

and Corona Light.

~10~

4 P’s Analysis

Competitor Product Price

per

Fluid

Oz.

Place Promotion

Eagle Rock

Brewery

Craft

beer

made in

the USA

$.75 Los Angeles, CA

and select areas

in the Western,

U.S.

Weekly events

List-serve

Specialty Beers

Taproom

Experience

Forums/Blogs

Carlsberg’s

Copenhagen

Beer

made in

Denmark

$.22 North/West/East

Europe & Asia

Plans to go

100% global

within the first

few years

Icon Carlsberg

Brand Promotion

“Champagne of

beers”

sponsor of global

events

Bud Light

Platinum

Beer

made in

the USA

$.12 North America

(U.S. and

Canada)

Social Media

Promotions

T.V. commercials

Corona

Light

Beer

made in

Mexico

$.09 Global T.V.

Photo/Commercial

Contests

Facebook

Global Awareness

Campaigns

~11~

Competitor Summaries

Eagle Rock Brewery

This microbrewery in Los Angeles, California focuses on the

production of original, artisan beers, using quality ingredients.

They have six signature beers which they distribute throughout

Southern California. However, a large portion of their business

takes place in their taproom, which is attached to the

microbrewery. Aside from their beer, Eagle Rock Brewery also

sells apparel, glasses, and gift cards.

However, Eagle Rock Brewery does not sell food. Therefore,

they work in tandem with local food trucks to create promotional

events. This directly supplements their marketing strategy of

targeting men and women of ages 25-50. They refer to their target

market as the “Los Angeles beer community” and market their

product as a social lubricant that unites their customers and target

audience. They also market to women, providing them with a

higher quality beer that is fun and delicious to drink. Also, they

incorporated this into a women’s forum and blog on their

website.

In addition to their website, Eagle Rock Brewery

communicated with their customers by utilizing an email list-

serve/newsletter and weekly events at their taproom, which

incorporates the food truck industry with their daily beer

specials. Their traditional media is limited due to the small

segment of the market in which they inhabit. Ultimately, Eagle

Rock Brewery’s customers are attracted to their commitment to

~12~

quality, originality, and independence from the status quo of their

market.

Copenhagen

This is a new beer developed by the Carlsberg group that

will originate out of Denmark. The vision of this particular brand

is to update their image with this product, creating something

that will be appealing to me and women on an international level.

The especially stress the “light and refreshing taste” and stylish

design. Furthermore, they market this product as the new a beer

that can be a replacement for champagne and white wine due to

the elimination of the classic, bitter aftertaste. They key point of

emphasis is its top shelf quality and design.

Their marketing strategies center around the rapport built

with those who are already familiar with Carlsberg’s products,

especially Europe. Furthermore, they spread awareness by being

sponsors of global events, such as the FIFA World Cup and the

Olympics. Additionally, their luminescent color scheme and

bottling is innovative as it stands out from the majority of other

beer products currently on the shelf.

Bud Light Platinum

This new and improved model of the American classic—Bud

Lights—has been engineered for a younger, more modern

demographic. They have triple-filtered this new product so that it

has a smoother taste and finish, designed to target younger

drinkers and female market segments.

~13~

Their marketing reflects the new, sleek qualities of their

products. The cobalt blue bottle stands out from other products

while still emanating the classic color scheme and logo of Bud

Light. They also utilize their social media pages on both Facebook

and Twitter and use more traditional media outlets, such as

television commercials.

Corona Light

Corona light is the sister product to the original beer Corona

Extra. This beer aims to maintain the integrity of flavor found in

the original but with a slightly lighter taste and fewer calories. Its

point of origin is Mexico in 1925; however, it is sold in all corners

of the globe.

In addition to occupying a large portion of the global, light

beer market, Corona Light also has an unmistakable symbol and

color scheme very similar to our own. The crown positioned

about the cobalt blue lettering could cause confusion once placed

side by side on the shelf. In addition the brand’s legacy, Corona

Light employs a variety of traditional and nontraditional media.

They employ television commercials and billboards but also

Facebook, Twitter, and their website. Their website is a key player

in developing the marketing a P.R. of their product because they

utilize it as a home base for consumer photo/commercial

competitions and global awareness campaigns.

~14~

2.2 Opportunity Analysis

Market Trends

According to an excerpt from Mintel Reports, written in

2010, concerning beer preferences in the United States, beer

drinkers are twice as likely buy domestic beer, especially beer that

is marketed to highlight its seasonal qualities, original flavors, or

unique origin. It is clear that beer customized for the consumer is

a popular concept.

~15~

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

Targets women--a underutilized target

market

Name identifies the concept of the

product

Low calorie and added antioxidants

align with current trend towards

healthier food and beverage options

Appealing brand, logo, and product

aesthetics

Weaknesses

Name, design, and mission of the

brand naturally deters male

consumers

New brand with currently no

awareness

Opportunities

Chance to enter into an

underdeveloped market segment

Ability to expand concept to

incorporate more brands, flavors, and

products

Sponsorship of causes and

organizations with a high female

following could increase awareness

and brand loyalty

Threats

Similarity of logo to other alcoholic

beverages (i.e. Corona and Crown

Royal)

Liability issues as an alcohol-

containing product

Potential for a lot of competition in

the future

Positive Negative

I

n

t

e

r

n

a

l

E

x

t

e

r

n

a

l

~16~

Perceptual Maps

~17~

~18~

2.3 Market Segmentation Analysis

Our primary market segment will target women between

the ages of 21 and 35. This young to middle adult age

demographic is important not only because of being legally

eligible to drink, but also because they will likely be the age range

most often exposed to our marketing mediums. Furthermore,

Mintel Reports found, in 2011, that consumers who believe in

better taste, higher quality beer are adults between the ages of 25

and 34.

Furthermore, psychographic analysis using the VALS

framework and survey tells us that our primary target market

segment is categorized as experiencer/innovator. Experiencers are

individuals who like “cool” things that are in keeping with the

latest trends. They seek excitement, social activities, and active

hobbies. They are enthusiastic about new possibilities and are

therefore prime consumers. Because our market segment is also

characterized by innovation, this speaks to their personalities as

being well-educated, sophisticated, and natural leader with high

self-esteem. They are also active consumers, staying on top of the

latest trends and using material objects to convey their expression

of taste, independence, and personality.

~See Appendix for VALS Survey Results~

~19~

3.0 Corporate Strategies

3.1 Corporate Image Intentions

Promiss is our answer to women’s calls across the United

States and beyond for a new generation of craft beer specifically

satisfying their needs. Our unique beer offers an elegance and

sophistication to such a casual beverage. Our dedication to

continuous innovation of our product will exude a sense of

novelty and loyalty to our customers. The lighter flavor, fewer

calories and smaller portion size are our answer to satisfy the

needs of our customers.

Women will not only enjoy the new great taste, but will

create their own sense of community among themselves in the

effort to bring awareness to women’s issues. We hope to give our

customers the tools to create an intimate bond of a sisterhood

through the common interests that are women-specific. Our aim

is to reach our customers on a heart-to-heart level, involving our

beer not only in their social life, but their private lives, as well.

For prospective business partners, Promiss will represent the

new pioneer of craft beers and bring this industry into modern

day interests of the masses. That is, to be a part of something

greater than themselves. Our partnerships and support of these

issues will bind together new communities, simply through

selling this product in a new light and bringing new meaning to

this industry.

~20~

3.2 Brand Development Strategy

Our craft beer will be called Promiss. This is a feminine

graceful name that captures the essence of our product evoking a

personal connection with our consumer. The first syllable pro

connotes the “professional” demographic that we want to attract,

while the second syllable miss connotes the gender demographic

that we relate to. Not only that, but is pronounced as the word

promise. This is meant to allude to the fact that we are here to

make a promise to those sophisticated, fun-loving, and

professional women who are looking for a new generation of craft

beer.

The Promiss logo consists of a rounded crown framing our

beer brand name Promiss Light and our tag line Our Promise to

Women. We chose a rounded crown to emphasize the femininity

and curves that are so commonly associated with women, as well

as give it a graceful feel. The letters of our brand and tag line are

both in a cursive type of font to give a sophistication and elegance

to the words. The Promiss and tagline appear in a deep purple, of

femininity while exuding a regal air. Thus, the overall color

scheme we chose is purple and gold—the color of royalty. The

purple represents the loyalty, status, and elegance of our

customers. Meanwhile, the gold signifies the richness, wealth,

and trustworthiness of our brand. Together, these elements form

a unique, unbreakable bond.

~See Appendix for Verification of Name with USPTO.Gov~

~21~

3.3 Brand Positioning Strategy

Brand Story

During college, two typical college females were tired of the

typical, boring, “male-oriented” beer. They were ready for

something that actually tasted good and acknowledged a

woman’s palate. It was then the idea of Promiss Light was born.

The two women set out to develop a beer with a lighter flavor,

fewer calories, and a smaller portion size. This was going to be a

beer characterized by the elegance and sophistication of women.

This idea inspired them to add cancer-fighting antioxidants and

donate 1% of their profits to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the

Domestic Violence Awareness Campaign. This is definitely not

your man’s beer, but he’s going to wish it was.

The Brand Promise

A beer for women by women—the promise of serious beer

for serious fun.

Brand Attributes

Our brand is a light beer for women. At a serving size of 8

fluid ounces, Promiss Light only has 80 calories and powerful,

cancer-fighting antioxidants. Not only is it specifically engineered

to satisfy the female palate, but it is created with women’s

interests in mind. 1% of all our profits go to Susan G. Komen for

the Cure and Domestic Violence Awareness. This is not a

gimmick; it is our Promiss to women.

~22~

Brand Tone

The tone of this brand will speak to those that are

intellectual, educated and self-driven. We will speak in terms that

those in the professional sphere will understand, with emphasis

on the needs and wants of women and communicate through

those. Although our target audience may be considered “serious

people” we will definitely add witty, comic twists to our ads to

attract that shift our customers so commonly need, to shut off the

professional and turn on the fun.

Pricing Strategy

Our pricing strategy will be competition based pricing.

However, considering our brand positioning, we want to remain

in the higher end of the beer industry, competing with the craft

beers. Although we may have fewer fluid ounces than our

competitors, our brand is here to represent more than just a beer

brand, we are here to represent greater causes and increase

awareness of breast cancer and domestic violence, both of which

call for a greater intimate connection between brand and buyer.

Our prices will be competitive with that of other home brews and

craft beers such as Eagle Rock shown above.

~23~

3.4 Overview: Distribution Strategy

We will begin with a brewery and taproom in the Orange

County area, focusing on becoming a local favorite. This area

consists of a suburban lifestyle - the lifestyle of family-oriented

woman who are concerned with the healthy lifestyle, hosts

jewelry, Tupperware and TV show parties that are looking for

something new to introduce to their communities to spice up the

routine. This is where Promiss comes in. Something new, exciting,

different, unique and actually made for women, by women.

Our taproom—as a local, community hotspot—will be a spot

for graduate students, friends, coworkers, and dates to come

enjoy the taste of our new brews while spending time together.

Our offerings will be present in newsletters sent out electronically

through email with printable coupons and promotions.

There are several opportunities for expansion that we will

explore. We intend to expand into the San Diego County area and

stretch eastward into Arizona and Nevada. To the north, we plan

on hitting populated areas such as Los Angeles County and San

Francisco/Bay area as well. And with our growing success we

plan on filling the rest of the gaps within Southern California and

looking to expanding eastward.

~24~

3.5 Overview: Corporate Public Relations Strategy

Our goal with PR is to empower employees, make charitable

contributions, sponsor local events, and support community

events. We want to become the familiar, trusting local brand that

is genuinely involved in our customer’s lives and the brand that

truly cares about what is important to them.

To facilitate these feelings we plan on sending out company

newsletters, internal messages, have public relations releases,

keep correspondence with stockholders, annual reports, and

various special events. We want to be a proactive member of the

community and spread the word of our brand and image

recognition.

~25~

4.0 Marketing Management

4.1 Marketing Team Organization

Overall, our marketing management team will reflect our

brand mission and public relations goals of thoroughly and

effectively communicating with and engaging our customer base.

As such, our marketing team will maintain an emphasis on the

key components of our brand and remain consistent throughout

the message of our advertisements. Our marketing team will be

split into four key task forces: creativity and design, social media

specialist, marketing analysts, and a marketing coordinator.

The creativity and design team will be in charge of

formulating advertising and promotional initiatives while also

creating the necessary visuals to match any initiatives. The

creative aspect and the design aspect are purposely in one unit

because at Promiss, we believe it is incredibly important to

maintain a strong and unified brand message at all times. This

combined task force will foster efficient and innovative marketing

strategies. The social media specialist will manage all outlets

through which Promiss electronically connects with target

audiences. This includes our web page, Facebook, and Twitter.

Members of this unit will be charged with continuously updating

all avenues to ensure our customer base is always informed about

upcoming events, innovations and happenings at Promiss. The

market research analyst will monitor trends relevant to the craft

~26~

beer industry. This may include a range of subject areas such

competitor updates, new trends, new technologies, etc. This task

force will report to the marketing coordinator to aid the

development of marketing strategies. Finally, the marketing

coordinator will oversee all units, ensuring all teams are on task

and working cohesively.

4.2 Overall IMC Budget Allocations

The total Corporate IMC Budget allotted is $6 million for

consumer and independent retail marketing communications

initiatives. This budget will be dispersed throughout a 12 month

period, funding our integrated marketing communications for

one calendar year. A majority of this budget will be allocated for

consumer marketing initiatives (see section 5.2). As a new

company with low brand awareness, our current priority is to

establish ourselves as a brand and successfully build relationships

with our new target market base. Once we have created a strong

consumer following, we can then focus on business expansion

through independent retailers. The total breakdown of the budget

will reflect these priorities. 80% of the budget will go towards our

consumer marketing initiatives, totaling $4,800,000. The

remaining 20%, $1,200,000, will go towards independent retail

marketing. Within each of these specific segments, specific details

regarding budget allocations can be found in sections 5.2 and 6.3

of our integrated marketing communications plan.

~27~

4.3 Agency Selection

We will not be using an external agency. We plan on using

an In-House advertising agency to help lower costs, give our

company better control of the message that we are trying to

convey, which can be aligned with the brand and other company

communications. Our CEO can also work closely with the

marketing team to make sure this occurs. Consequently, our

members of the marketing department have a better

understanding of our products and mission, being that they are

already deeply involved. We can also more quickly produce

advertisements if needed and allows for greater consistency

because of a lower turnover rate in the creative team.

4.4 Website Strategic Purpose and Utilization

The website is expected to bring the customer into full

contact with our product as much as possible through cyberspace.

We will have our product available for full view and extra snip-its

next to all the unique features we put on our labels and what they

mean to us and our customers. We will also have a section for

customers to post pictures of themselves with our product and/or

comments describing their experience with the product and how

it made them feel or what they feel may improve their experience.

All comments and posting will be on approval settings only so

that we are ultimately controlling the content of the page. This

~28~

will allow our customers to connect with the product on a deeper

level by increasing their knowledge of the product and what it’s

all about.

Our website will also serve as a community blog for people

going through anything that our product supports. We also will

have documentation of our involvement in community projects or

sponsored events that people are able to upload their pictures

from or sign up to volunteer or become involved. They may also

message the team with personal endeavors that are close to their

heart so that we may analyze and decide if it’s something we

would like to get involved in—supporting fundraisers or

sponsorships, for example.

~29~

5.0 Integrated Marketing Communication Plan

Objective One: The Consumer

5.1 Consumer Objective Overview

The first objective of our integrated marketing

communications plan is to create marketing strategies that will

foster positive, long-term relationships with our target

consumers. Our marketing initiatives combine carefully designed

advertising campaigns and promotional efforts, bolstering our

public relations image and facilitating the achievement of our

goal.

5.2 Budget to Reach Consumer Objective

The budget to accomplish our consumer marketing

objectives will be 80% of our entire marketing budget of

$6,000,000 for our first calendar year. This will translate to

$4,800,000. As a new company, we want to concentrate our

marketing efforts on initiatives that will establish ourselves as a

strong brand, dedicated to our customer base. We believe that the

most significant part of achieving this mission is to form a strong

connection with our customers. As such, the majority of our first

year marketing budget will be allocated between three marketing

~30~

segments for customer outreach: digital media, print media, and

promotions.

Our digital media management will account for a large

portion of our consumer budget, because we have identified it as

the advertising medium which our target market is most often

exposed to. Therefore, we have allocated 30% of our consumer

budget towards our digital media marketing efforts. This totals

$1,440,000 that will go towards our online media marketing,

which includes but is not limited to web advertisements, email

and database marketing, and social media networking. A lot of

our consumer budget will be allocated towards online marketing

because we believe that this is a major way to efficiently and

successfully capture and retain our consumer base.

Secondly, Print media will account for another 25% of our

consumer budget, totaling $1,200,000. Because we are not

utilizing an external marketing agency, we will be designing and

managing all of our print media in house. Such media may

include magazine and news advertisements. Although this may

prove to be expensive, our public relations campaigns,

promotions, and sponsorships will help us to build rapport with a

variety of audiences and get mentioned in news and special

topics pieces.

Lastly, the majority of our consumer marketing budget will

be allocated towards our marketing promotions initiatives. This

45% will total $2,160,000. These promotions include, but are not

~31~

limited to, sponsorships and appearances at local festivals or

events. We have allocated the largest portion of our consumer

marketing budget to our promotions because we feel it says the

most about our brand purpose and will impact the largest

number of our target market. More details concerning our specific

promotional efforts will follow in section 5.3.

5.3 IMC Tools

5.3.1 Consumer Websites

As a company dedicated to truly connecting to our

consumer base on a variety of levels, we recognize that the

utilization of Internet is a critical point of interaction. Therefore,

Promiss Light will use several different websites. Our main

website can be found at the URL promisslight.webs.com. This

website is specifically geared toward connecting current and

potential consumers with Promiss Light’s objective, products,

events, location, merchandise, blog, and more. The site has a

sophisticated yet whimsical design, reflecting our commitment to

the women which we represent.

~See Appendix for Domain Name Verification~

We also use a variety of social media websites. Our

Facebook page will be used to foster discussion groups, receive

customer feedback, alert customers to promotions and events,

~32~

and provide an interactive online community where our

company and consumers can engage in casual dialogue.

Likewise, our Twitter account will serve a similar purpose of

keeping our customers informed of daily specials and

promotions. Also, it will allow customers to comment on our

products and services in a setting where we can publicly address

and respond to their insights, whether they are positive or

negative.

Website Layouts

Please consult the following two pages and appendices for

images regarding of our website layout and design plans.

~33~

~34~

5.3.2 Advertising

Objective

The objective of our integrated marketing communications

plan is to create marketing strategies that will spread awareness

and foster positive, long-term relationships with our target

consumers. Our marketing initiatives combine carefully designed

advertising campaigns and promotional efforts, bolstering our

public relations image, and facilitate the achievement of our goal.

We want to be a valued local favorite that Southern California can

be proud of.

~35~

Creative Brief to Reach Customers

We have written a consumer creative brief, synthesizing our

integrated marketing communications objective for our target

market.

~See Appendix for a Full Version of the Consumer Creative Brief~

Advertising Campaign Designs (3)

(1) The design and layout of our first consumer ad campaign

is the relation between play-date tea parties as little girls and

switching roles as the mother figure having their own adult play-

dates. This will be used to show the relationship between the

young girl sisterhood and adult sisterhood. Although time goes

by, we grow up and things become more serious, there is always

that little girl in us that wants to enjoy the company of her close

friends while having a new adult brew.

(2) The design and layout of our second consumer ad

campaign displays a beach scene with a young lady being chased

flirtatiously by a young man. We utilize our tag line and reveal

our beer design in this ad. The colors of the text correspond with

our main colors of purple and gold. This ad is to communicate the

fun, light, care-free enjoyment one can experience when drinking

our product.

(3) The design and layout of the third consumer ad

campaign is set in a bar scene with a woman being gazed over by

~36~

men who are interesting in talking to her and what she’s

drinking. The text used in this ad is “This is definitely not your

man’s beer... but he’s going to wish it was.” The reason for this is

to play on the intention of stating in text that the men are

interested in the product, but the picture suggest that these men

are interested in socializing with the woman finding her

desirable, therefore our beer desirable.

5.3.3 Collateral Materials

Packaging

Our packaging has been designed to reflect the quality and

tone of our brand. The clear bottle conveys a sense of honesty and

whimsicality. Meanwhile, the presence of our signature colors of

royal purple and gold, on the label, speaks to our brand’s

sophistication and natural energy. Simultaneously, these colors,

our logo, and our brand name automatically appeal to a female

crowd. The 8 ounce serving size was implemented to keep

women’s lower calorie and volume needs in mind.

The jet black overall color of our six pack carrier

communicates the elegance and class of our brand. The position

of the logo is in the upper middle of all sides to identify who we

are. On the front the tag line used, “A great beer for an even

greater cause” reveals just enough so that it catches peoples

~37~

interests and curiosity that they pick up our product and examine

further. Furthermore, they will find on the small sides we will

display the Breast cancer and Domestic violence ribbons so that

they may see and discover our ‘greater cause’ as a brand.

3 Panel Brochure

In addition to our advertisement campaigns, we will create a

brochure that will be distributed at the brewery to customers, as

well as to individuals at Promiss Light sponsored events or

festivals. The brochure will provide a succinct yet thorough

overview of our company, product, services, contact information,

and brand mission.

Pop Display

We made the decision to go with the theme “Beer Royalty”

and went with a classic throne with all the rich details with our

product sitting comfortably in its rightful place - the Queen of

Beers. This is a direct play with Budweiser and their “King of

Beers” theme. This will reveal the feminine position that we are

based off of. While Budweiser focuses on men and what they

stand for, Promiss - the Queen of Beers - will focus on female

characteristics and stand for the women in society.

~38~

5.3.4 Three Consumer Promotion Ideas; rationale, execution,

timing.

Sports Uniforms

We decided to channel the sports arenas and active women

in this category. Many Women Professional Soccer teams’

uniforms are full of sponsor’s logos. We decided to take this

avenue because of the TV publicity and our desire to target active

mothers, active women, and sports fans, as well. After our name

and brand recognition has been established, these women will

recognize and take notice of our familiar brand logo while

grocery shopping or watching their favorite women’s sports

team.

Also, the WNBA have “sponsor games” where they pick one

sponsor to wear on the front of their jerseys in place of their LA

Sparks logo. Similarly, we will also sponsor the women’s

professional soccer leagues—the most popular women’s sport in

the United States—in order to target active women. Sports arenas

are overwhelmed by advertisements that target men, thus a

change in pace with purple and gold with stand out and be

appealing to the female fan bases.

~39~

Facebook Post

Another way to get our brand to spread via word-of-mouth

and from friend to friend is to hold a “Facebook Post/Tweet”

competition. It will be twice a year and the person to post the best

Facebook picture, Facebook comment, tweet, or all of the above

about our product will win a party at our brewery, which is

located in Orange County, California. We will also hold other

competitions of the same criteria but the winnings will be

different every time. These prizes will range from discounts, “tell-

a-friend” promotions, to most loyal customer discounts.

Ultimately, through the use of social media, this should help to

spread awareness through and to increase traffic to our brewery

location.

Promiss Girls

We also will utilize promo girls to attend local events at bars,

beer festivals and popular local events. Our biggest platform to

start with will be the Huntington Beach US Open Surfing

Competition. During this competition, numerous brands have

several booths set up on the sand close to the action. Our unique

brand of fewer calories, a smaller serving size, added nutritional

benefits, and appealing image will become a favorite among the

female adults that attend these events.

~40~

Because we want to target active women, our Promiss Girls

will wear a more active style bathing suit, similar to that of beach

volleyball uniforms. They have not been designed to arouse, as is

so common regarding such tactics. The uniform bottoms will be

purple and the top will be gold. Our logo will be placed around

the back of the bottom portion, and Promiss Light and “Beer

Royalty” tagline will be in text across the front of the top.

5.3.5 Public Relations

Our Public Relations initiatives will build our brand image

of sophistication for a greater cause. There are several media

outlets we will be contacting to bolster our PR image.

Publications that we will contact about appearing in articles and

published spots include Women’s Health, Modern Brewery Age

Magazine, and Beer West Magazine. We will invite the editors of

these magazines to our grand opening event and offer to send

them a free sample of our product. Hopefully, we will get enough

attention to be featured on Food Network programs or other

television programs. These TV programs will provide invaluable

opportunities to increase positive publicity for Promiss Light. Our

social media pages will also be instrumental in our PR efforts and

thus will be monitored regularly to maintain fluid

communication with our followers. Aside from simply updating

our consumer base about Promiss Light, we will be actively

working to create a dialogue between them and us. We hope to

~41~

create opportunities for feedback and collective innovation. These

interactions will be a function of our public relations and also

overlap with several areas of our marketing initiatives.

Another aspect of our public relations image relates to our

business persona. While we want to maintain a positive image

with our customers, we also value maintaining the reputation of

being a reliable business that abides by regulations. California has

several laws related to breweries and alcohol vendors, including

laws that regulate the application process to become a licensed

seller of alcohol and the process of distribution. In accordance

with these regulations, we will be complying will all legal

mandates. As such, our businesses’ PR should be extremely

positive overall.

Crisis Plan

As a brewery and retailer/distributor of alcohol, we

recognize the inherent risks of our industry. Consequently, we

have securities in place to ensure optimal safety for our customers

and our company. In order to minimize liabilities and worst case

scenarios, such as alcohol consumption related accidents, we will

have insurance, public health certification, and a warning posted

in our taproom and on our packaging.

~42~

5.3.6 Sponsorship and Philanthropy Programs

Promiss Light will sponsor a variety of women’s sporting

events. We will be official sponsors of Women’s Professional

Soccer, Women’s Major League Lacrosse, and the WNBA. These

are some of the most commonly player sports by women, that still

manage to receive the least amount of corporate sponsorships.

Our logo can be found on the sleeves of several teams jerseys,

with advertisements in the stadiums and during televised games.

In addition to women’s athletics, Promiss Light will be an

active sponsor of both Susan G. Komen for the Cure and

Domestic Violence Awareness. During the month of October--the

official month for both causes--Promiss Light will give 10% of its

profits to each organization. During the other 11 months of the

year, Promiss Light will donate 1% of its profits to each cause. By

directly associating our brand with these women’s issues of

colossal importance, we simultaneously make the national

community aware of our brand and its commitment to women,

while giving back to the community. These causes are also the

philanthropy of two National Panhellenic sororities: Alpha Chi

Omega (Domestic Violence Awareness) and Zeta Tau Alpha

(Breast Cancer Awareness). We can work in tandem with these

organizations for the same cause and also send representatives

from our brewery to local colleges where we will be able to

spread our messages about female empowerment as well as

healthy drinking habits. This will not only spread awareness of

~43~

our brand’s image and promise, but help to enrich our

community and its future. Here at Promiss Light, we firmly

believe that giving truly is getting.

5.3.7 Database Programs

Promiss Light will have an e-mail database program that

mutually benefits our business and our consumers. There will be

links to sign up for the list-serve on all of our sites, receipts, and

cards at the brewery that individuals can fill out. Information will

include the individuals first and last names and e-mail addresses.

Optional information will also include phone numbers and

permanent mailing addresses. People can also select how often

they would like to hear from Promiss Light: weekly, monthly,

seasonally, or annually.

For our internal operations, we will use the gathered

information to promote all of our events and specials. Individuals

who sign up for this program will receive instant updates about

all discounts and coupons via e-mail blasts. They will also receive

a series of exclusive benefits, including a 50% off discount coupon

on their birthdays.

5.4.1 Consumer Media Plan

The mission of our advertising media plan is to efficiently

communicate our brand promise to our target markets while also

creating brand recognition and reliability. After extensive

~44~

research, we have constructed a carefully outlined media plan for

the first year of our business. Our advertisements will be divvied

up into three segments: commercial print media, online

advertisements, and promotional media.

During the first year, we hope to saturate the market with

our brand image and product offering by advertising right at the

start of the summer of 2012 across all media sects. Moving

forward, a heavy emphasis of our marketing efforts will occur at

the beginning of each season. The end of December, March, June,

and September mark significant times during the calendar year

for Promiss Light. Firstly, our advertisement will adapt to

highlight various aspects of our product, depending on those

psychographic themes that are best received during each season.

For example, after the New Year we would be more likely to

highlight those aspects of our product that most likely coincide

with women’s New Year’s resolutions, such as the low calorie

benefits. During the summer months, we would be more likely to

emphasize the light, refreshing nature of our beer. Our product’s

advertising will greatly benefit from the utilization of

psychographic data.

The advertising for the three main projects will be planned

according to when the promotions will be released. However, a

majority of our promotional efforts will occur randomly

throughout the year. This is reflected in our media flowchart.

~See Appendix for Consumer Media Flowchart~

~45~

Online Media

Our online media will account for $1,440,000 of our

consumer media budget. We have allocated our media spending

this way because our research suggests that our target market is

heavily involved in online interactions daily. According to PEW

Internet Trend Data, 95% of people age 18-29 use the Internet.

After conducting extensive research on Internet user

demographics and site popularity, we have identified four

websites where we will concentrate our advertising initiatives:

Facebook, Twitter, Groupon, Living Social, and Google. These

websites have hundreds of millions of viewers and offer a variety

of advertising techniques. More importantly, these websites

attract our target consumer and are therefore an important

contact point for our brand. It has been estimated, by Facebook

Statistics, that 50% of Facebook users are ages 18-34.

Print Media

Commercial print media will have $1,200,000 dedicated to its

development. We will pay for advertisements in Women’s

Health, Modern Brewery Age Magazine, and Beer West

Magazine. All of these publications are popular print sources our

target audience in California and the Western United States.

~46~

Promotional Media

Promotional media will account for the remaining $2,160,000

of our customer media budget. This money will mainly be

dedicated to sponsoring women’s professional athletics. There

will also be some costs associated with our Facebook/Twitter

contest and support of Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence

Awareness. However, hopefully this promotion will ultimately

benefit our company in the form of increased awareness and

sales.

5.5 Consumer Media Plan Evaluation

As a company dedicated to women and the constant

innovation and improvement of our brand, we strongly believe in

the significance of consumer feedback. For surface level

evaluation, we will assess ourselves as a company through sales

and return on investment analysis. However, to thoroughly

evaluate our customer’s satisfaction rates, we will be conducting

two surveys—one for our customers and one for our employees.

Our customer survey will be distributed through our database

program to all those registered in our database. To encourage our

customers to complete and return the survey, we will be offering

a coupon for 75% off a flight of our craft beer in exchange for a

completed survey. The customer must simply record the

completed survey confirmation code upon finishing the survey,

~47~

and provide it to the bartender at our brewery upon point of

purchase. To reduce potential bias resulting from this

proposition, in our survey e-mail we will insert a clause urging

our customers to be as open and honest as possible.

Our employee survey will be distributed to all employees

working at the brewery and taproom who interact with

consumers daily. The employee survey is not an employee

satisfaction survey. It is a survey that evaluates our consumers, as

well as their interaction with our product, through the eyes of

those Promiss Light representatives that interact with our

consumers on a daily basis. This second survey provides us with

further insight as to how we can maximize positive feedback and

referrals, while minimizing any negative references. This is all in

a cohesive effort to improve our brand and consumer experience.

~See Appendix for Surveys~

~48~

6.0 Integrated Marketing Communication Plan

Objective Two: Independent Retailers

6.1 Independent Retail Objective Overview

Our second integrated marketing objective will target

potential independent retailers, such as beer and liquor stores and

bars. Our overall goal is to inform retailers in the industry about

our offerings and connect with the specifically targeted retailers.

There are several aspects of our brand that we believe will be

attractive to our potential future independent retailers. We offer a

product that targets an untapped market with an original and

distinctive product, message, taste, and appearance. Furthermore,

we offer the legitimacy and popularity of our brand name.

6.2 Independent Retailer Communications Objective Overview

Our second integrated marketing objective will target

potential independent retailers. Our overall goal is to inform

these retailers in the industry about our offerings and connect

with specifically targeted retailers. There are several aspects of

our brand that we believe will be attractive to potential future

retailers. We offer a unique concept that targets an untapped

target market. We also offer established connections with others

~49~

in the industry and the legitimacy and popularity of our brand

name.

6.3 Budgets to Reach Independent Retailers

The budget to accomplish our independent retail objectives

will be 20% of our overall marketing budget, totaling $1,200,000.

These funds will be used to develop retailer-targeting plans.

Research will be the most significant aspect of finding our target

retailers, so 83% of our budget will be used to conduct market

research by acquiring a digital database program, totaling

$1,000,000. Using this market research database, we will identify

locations of retailers, as well as find retailers that meet our

standards. Based off of the research, the remaining $200,000 (27%)

of our budget to target independent retailers will be used for

advertising, specifically to these individuals.

6.4 IMC Tools

Website Thumbnail

While a majority of our communications plan for accessing

potential independent retailers involves targeted contacting, we

will also have information for interested individuals on our main

website, under the “Services” tab. This portion of the website will

~50~

include information regarding our main qualifications, corporate

support provisions, existing locations, and contact information.

~See Appendix for Independent Retailer Thumbnail~

Digital Database Program

Since our independent retail will be a limited operation, we

will have a small database program to collect and organize

prioritized information. Every time someone responds to one of

our inquiry on our website, we will record their contact

information into a digital database. We will rank the retailer

through a series of indicators, including their interest in our

product, qualification, location, and dedication to our causes.

Estimates for acquiring a digital database program is

approximately $1,000,000, making it the most expensive aspect of

our independent retailer marketing communication strategies.

Buzz Marketing Campaign

In order to generate some perceived consumer demand and

buzz in the minds of potential retailers, we will launch a buzz

marketing campaign. We will hire a series of actors to go into

targeted bars and liquor stores and ask to be served Promiss

Light. When they respond that they do not carry this product, the

actor will respond in a disappointed manner and leave the

establishment. Several days later, the process with be repeated

~51~

with a new actor. This process will continue until the

establishment contacts us and inquires about our product. Due to

the actors’ salaries and transportation costs, we have allotted a

total of $200,000 to our buss/guerilla marketing campaign.

6.5 Creative Brief

We have also written an independent retailer creative brief,

synthesizing our integrated marketing communications objectives

for our target franchises.

~See Appendix for Creative Brief~

6.6 Public Relations

The goal of our franchise public relations efforts will be to

solidify our brand image of quality, energy, and sophistication.

As part of our public relations efforts, we will attend the

California Beer Festival in October 2012. However, since our

franchise plan revolves around targeted marketing efforts, this

will be our only mainstream event.

6.7 Independent Retailer Media Plan

Our independent retail media plan will reflect our

advertising goal of including both digital and buzz marketing

~52~

techniques. For our digital media, we will mainly focus on our

website and social media as the main touch points for retailers.

However, we will not neglect our buzz marketing initiatives.

We will disperse our actors initially within a local, concentrated

area. Eventually, we will expand throughout southern California

and potentially into more of the western United States.

Overall, our independent retail marketing plan will

commence towards the end of the calendar year, after we have

had three quarters to garner brand recognition and legitimacy in

the market.

~See Appendix for Independent Retailer Media Plan/Flowchart~

6.8 Independent Retail Plan Evaluation

Our ultimate goal is to have our retailers positively represent

our brand as well as adequately and accurately convey our

brand’s tone and message. Additionally, a strong relationship

based on mutual benefit is sought after. Therefore, feedback from

our independent retailers is critical. To evaluate our independent

retailer plan, we will conduct two layers of analysis. First, we will

examine the financial statements belonging to our independent

retailers semiannually. Analyzing this information will provide

us with insight about the perception of our brand, as mediated by

these retailers through sales and return on investment analysis.

Second, we will conduct an independent retailer evaluation

~53~

survey to gather feedback from these businesses about their

experience as a Promiss Light retailer and representative. This

will provide critical information for future retail plans and

improvements.

~See Appendix for Survey~

~54~

~55~

Appendices

i. Name Verification

USTPO.gov was consulted to verify the availability of the

company name:

Promiss Light

x___________________________ & x______________________

Sarah E. Hook Taylor K. Allen

Godaddy.com was consulted to verify the availability of our

domain name:

www.promisslight.webs.com

x________________________ & x_______________________

Sarah E. Hook Taylor K. Allen

~56~

ii. Corporate Logo Design

~57~

iii. VALS Survey Results

~58~

iv. Main Website Homepage Layout

~59~

v. Sample Thumbnail

~60~

vi. Independent Retail Link from Main Website

~61~

vii. Facebook Page Layout

~62~

viii. Twitter Page Layout

~63~

ix. Consumer Advertising Campaigns

(1) Play-Date

~64~

(2) Not your man’s beer

~65~

(3) Tag line

~66~

x. Collateral Materials

Packaging

~67~

POP Display “Beer Royalty”

~68~

Sponsorship Programs

(1) Domestic violence (purple ribbon) and

Breast Cancer awareness (pink ribbon)

~69~

(2) Sports Jerseys

US Women’s Professional Soccer Team

~70~

WNBA Los Angeles Sparks

~71~

Professional Surfing—Huntington Beach, CA

~72~

Promiss Girls Uniforms

~73~

Brochure Outside

~74~

Brochure Inside

~75~

Email Blasts

~76~

~77~

xi. Media Flowchart

~78~

xii. Consume Creative Brief

Target Audience

Our target audience is primarily women ages 21-35.

Furthermore, our brand targets well-educated, middle-class

women. This generation is characterized by individuals who

utilize the Internet, either as often or more often than print

media, as their primary source for information. They are

technologically savvy, trendy and lead busy, face-paced

lives.

Source of Business

Young adult women are constantly on the go and looking

for the newest up and coming trend that aligns with their

desire to appear sophisticated yet energetic. In terms of the

beer industry, this provides an untapped market segment

because current beers are marketed towards males.

Therefore, the majority of beer products are characterized by

a strong, bitter flavor and gruff design. We hope to edge out

these products by consumers’ attraction to our innovative,

refined, and unique concept that addresses their needs on

multiple levels.

~79~

Advertising Objective

Our advertising objective is to create consumer demand for

Promiss Light services.

Key Consumer Benefit

The key consumer benefit of Promiss Light is a quality,

sophisticated product that gives back to its consumers.

Benefit Support

We believe that Promiss Light will be successful because the

market trend of craft beers is on the rise and there is a high

demand for products dedicated to a higher social cause.

Emotional Appeal

The emotional appeal of Promiss Light lies in the feeling of

sophistication, customization, fun, and dedication to a

higher cause that accompanies drinking our product while

helping to promote and sponsor women’s’ causes.

Tonality

The tone of Promiss Light is modern, trendy, and energetic.

~80~

Mandatory Elements

We discuss maintaining quality of our ingredients, safety of

our consumers, and compliance will public health code

policies.

~81~

xiii. Franchise Creative Brief

Target Independent Retailer

Our target independent retailers are businesses that have

experience in the beverage industry, specifically bars and

liquor stores.

Source of Business

Beer is one of our nation’s classic beverages and

customization in this industry is one of the up and coming

trends. The popularity of this trend and the desire to stay on

top of coming trends will draw in potential independent

retailers. Interested retailers will specifically want to sell

Promiss Light products because of our unique marketing

strategies and original concept.

Advertising Objective

Our advertising objective is to identify interested and

qualified future independent retailers.

Key Independent Retail Benefit

~82~

The key benefit of being an independent retailer of Promiss

Light is the acquisition of a unique product that attracts an

untapped market segment, as well as connections to an

established company’s marketing strategies and support.

Benefit Support

We believe that Promiss Light will have success attracting

independent retailers because of the lack of competition in

this particular market and the low fiscal investment

required.

Emotional Appeal

For potential independent retailers, the emotional appeal of

Promiss Light lies in the feeling of being a part of something

new, energetic, and philanthropic. It is the intersection of

creativity, sophistication, and goodwill.

Mandatory Elements

We discuss retail restrictions and that regulations may vary

from state to state.

~83~

xiv. Consumer Survey

Personal

1. Where are you from?__________________________

2. What gender do you identify with?______________

3. What year were you born?_______________

4. What is your occupation?________________

Overall Experience

1. How did you first hear about Promiss Light?

___Magazine Advertisement

___News Article

___Online Advertisement

___Facebook

___Twitter

___Friend

___Other

2. What were your expectations when you first heard of

our brand?

3. Have we met these expectations?

~84~

4. Were you satisfied with our product? Why or why not?

5. How many times have you tried our product? ________

6. How do you feel our beer compares to others you

drink?

7. Would you recommend us to a friend?

Yes____ No____ Already have!____

Product

1. Did you feel our beer was a good value for the price?

2. What did you like or not like about the beer?

3. What else would you like us to provide that we do not

already? How can we improve your overall experience?

~85~

xv. Employee Survey

1. How would you describe the atmosphere in the

Promiss Light brewery and taproom during work hours?

2. How would you describe the general mood of

customers when they visit the Promiss Light brewery?

3. What are some common compliments from customers?

4. What are some common complaints given by

customers?

5. What is the best response you’ve heard from a

customer when they try our product?

6. Are you ever asked anything you do not know the

answer to? If so, please provide examples.

~86~

7. What would you say the general age range of our

customers is?

8. What gender would you say the majority of our

customers identify with?

~87~

xvi. Independent Retail Survey

1. How would you describe your overall experience as a

retailer of Promiss Light?

2. What are some of the positive aspects of this association

with Promiss Light?

3. What are some of the negative aspects of your

association with Promiss Light?

4. Would you like more or less support from Promiss

Light corporate? Why?

5. Do you feel that Promiss Light is beneficial to your

business? Why or why not?

6. Any other comments, questions, or suggestions?

~88~

Sarah Hook & Taylor Allen

Promiss Light

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

2012